How to Search for Tax Liens & Judgments on a Property
There are circumstances that may happen that cause a homeowner to fall behind on the property taxes on their home. As a result, a tax lien may be filed on the house with a penalty. Depending on the laws of your state, you have a certain amount of time to pay off the tax lien. Also, if you are interested in purchasing a home, it is a good idea to know ahead of time if there are any liens or judgments on the property. For investing purposes, you can also purchase tax liens. There are a few methods you can use to find this information.
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Instructions
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Go to your local tax assessor's office. If you are looking for tax liens and judgments on a specific property, find out which county the property is located in, and locate the tax assessor's office. You can then physically see all the listings of any houses that have judgments or tax liens. Sometimes this information is available to you for free, while some states may charge to see it.
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Conduct an online search for the county tax assessor's office where the property is located. Often, due to the size of the county, there can be so many properties that have judgments and tax liens that there just isn't enough room to accommodate all the people searching. A convenient alternative is to search the online database on the tax assessor's website. This is beneficial if the property you are looking for is not in the same state or county where you are.
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Use third-party public record searches. There are third-party listings that will either e-mail or mail you newly updated properties that have tax liens or judgments on them on either a daily, weekly or monthly basis.
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Find the dates and times for purchasing the tax lien if that is your interest. Tax liens typically are purchased at auctions. You do not necessarily have to be present when the auction takes place. Sometimes a lawyer in that state can bid for you by issuing him/her 'power of attorney'. Keep in mind that if you win the auction on a tax lien, you will have to have the money instantly. Typically, you need either a letter of credit, an approval letter from a lender or certified funds in the form of a cashier's check.
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Tips & Warnings
Some newspapers list judgments and tax liens under "Public Notices." It may be a different name based on the publication.
You can also check with your tax assessor to determine the process for obtaining tax liens and the penalties involved. Each state uses a different percentage for penalties.
If you cannot find any judgments at the tax assessor's office, you can also check with the local courthouse for the area of the property you are interested in.
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References
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- Photo Credit lien image by Gautier Willaume from Fotolia.com
